I'm going to coach in a 3v3 tournament next month (a first for me) and was looking for some tips.. I found this blog which has some really good info- anyone have anything to add. http://3v3soccer.blogspot.com/ I really like the goal/kick-in play where the player leaves the ball and runs into space to receive. I'm going to have a pretty athletic team so I was thinking of pressing high rather than having a player sit back near the goal. If we come across a very skilled team then we would drop back a bit and try to get them on the counter. Hoping to get the boys out for a practice or two to go over set plays. I like the idea of the 'i' shaped defense and rotation but it seems to complex at this age to grasp in such a short period of time.
I read your link. I am not impressed by anyone that assigns positions in 3v3, especially designating "forwards" which implies having at least 2 lines. Way too over-coached. Restricted movement and small spaces means attacking play is way too predictable. The stress should be on positional play, not positions.
many 3v3 leagues use way too big of a field. I had one of my son's on a 3v3 team during one summer years ago. Generally every team we went against played a sweeper who waited for us to come down so he could clear the ball.
The fields were big- I would guess 40x25. You had to play with a sweeper/goalie or kids would score on you as soon as they crossed the half. I took an athletic group (not very skilled) and we played some of the area's top club teams. Ended up going 0-2-2 for the day- had lots of fun. Regarding tactics, it was more of when to press and when to sit back. There was one defensive strategy I would have liked to use but we only had one practice before the tournament and there wasn't enough time to implement. When the full team resumes training in the spring I'll probably hold a day of 3v3 games, it was good fun and a lot can be learned.
Those fields are way too large for 3v3. The tournament organizers are using futsal fields for their convenience at the expense of the players. My guess is they are playing 3v3 instead of futsal to maximize their profits (which are based on the number of teams entered).
I played on the same field with some co-workers at lunch time and after work various days (a few years ago) they could not believe that kids were using the same field for 3v3 that we were using for 5v5, we even had to repeatedly explain to adults that the tiny goal boxes were meant to mark areas the players were not allowed to touch the ball in, they were using it as a goalie box. lol.